Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-22
OF FASTING.
LENT. AND THE PURPOSGOF ITS OBSERv,
ANCE.
Tia Ceremonies Pertaining 10 R-FOrty Days
Of Religious Discipline After the
Winters GaieneS.

To-day. the public holiday observed all
over the country rs the birthday of Wash
ington. and tonight, known far aad wide
as Mardi Gras or pancake" night,
brings to q close the season Of social
endowment, and tomorrow will usher IN
Ash Wednesday, the beginning OF the
Lenten period, during the forty days OF
which the faithful of all creeds will forego
to a greater or less degree the pleasures
incident to the various forms OF social en-
ioyment and substituted therefore an observ-
ance of the requirements of the Church.
Ash Wednesday, the first day of this
interval of religious meditation, fasting
and prayer, takes its name from the Gus
tom. in the Catholic Church, of casting
ashes upon the heads of the penitents. The
ashes usually forming a part of this cere-
mony, are consecrated at the altar, sprinkled
with holy water, and signed with the cross,
while the priests recite "NemeRtO quOd
eiRiS Is, It IN eeRleRi rererteriS," which
being interpreted deans, remember that
thou art dust, and must return To dust. y
The ashes are then sprinkled upon the
heads of the priests, the clergy and the
people.
In the early Christian Church the Lenten
season did not until the Sunday
now called 1.-THE first Sunday in Lent" but
Pope Gregory dated it hack to Ash
IN .I..,4 .l..pl - Nha gfN Ia fs.n-
turv, and the innovation was sanctioned
bv Pope Celestin Ill, in 1871. The cere-
monies now are chiefly confined to the
Catholic church and the ~stricter cOngrega-
tons of ~Episcopalians. The practice Of
tasting undoubtedly had its origin in the
faSts OF Moses, Elias and Christ, and the
sanction thus obtained Is taken up by
many people of widely differing religious
beliefs. Among the Hebrews fasting days
are observed with rigOr in the matter of
abstaining from food and drink. The
fast of the MuSSulman or Turk consists in
neither eating nor drinking nor smoking the
whole day, from morning until the rising
of the stars, and even the ancient idOlaterS
practiced an entire abstinence from eating
and drinking. The Christian fast now
consists of first, 4 ~fOrbearance of certain
/ kinds Of food. or a restraint in the choice
and quality, or an abatement OF food,
which is called abstinence, and secondly.
a f~orbearance OF necessary food, which is
called n fast, and to this is joined prayer
and religious meditation.
In the Catholic Church, the Bishop of
| the diocese, usually distributes through the
clergy, pastoral letters, prescribing with
considerable minuteneSS, the manner ofob-
serving the season. and in this diocese,
Bishop Kahn devOtes especial care TO this
cpiStlr to the communicates.
Most of the social organizations about
the city have given their final dances, but
there will be two or three gatherings Of
this nature tonight, notably the X. of ?.
hall at Turner Hall. Last evening the
Turner's gave n very successful and enjoy
able ball at their Market street hall, the
music being by Kramer. There was a
large attendance of maskers, and the night
was a very pleasant n for those attend
ing.